MSU is PGU, at least if Jeremy Fears Jr. is to be believed.

Following a 16-assist performance in a win over Louisville in the second round of the Men’s NCAA Tournament, Fears had high praise for the Michigan State program in a court-side interview with CBS’ Tracy Wolfson.

“This Point Guard University,” Fears said with MSU’s Tom Izzo on his shoulder. “Coach (Tom Izzo) had great point guards before me and I’m just trying to keep it going, but overall it’s my teammates. You know teammates they making the shots, they doing the hard part I’m just getting them the ball.”

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It’s true Michigan State has quite the point guard pedigree. While Magic Johnson is the quintessential college and professional point guard, Fears is developing a resume in his own right. His 16 assists were the most for a Spartan in a March Madness game in program history, and he became the first Big Ten player since Magic himself to have back-to-back double-digit assist games in the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan State will now gear up to play the winner of UConn and UCLA in the Sweet 16, with a bit of a break beforehand. Time will tell if the spirits of Denzel Valentine and Drew Neitzel will continue to guide him and the Spartans.

There haven’t been many playmakers in college basketball better than Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. this season.

The Spartans’ 6-foot-2 point guard is second in the country in assists per game, only behind Purdue’s Braden Smith. Fears also entered the Men’s NCAA Tournament as one of the top guards in the 68-team field, and a reason why the Spartans are seen as a team that could make a deep run to the Final Four.

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But his playmaking isn’t the only part of his game that has helped him earn a spot on the finalist list for the Wooden Award or be in the mix for the top player in the Big Ten. He’s also been able to impact games for the Spartans with his ability to score in all three levels.

Fears finished with seven points in Michigan State’s opening-round win over North Dakota State on Thursday, his seventh game this season in which he finished with single-digit points. He’ll look to improve that stat line on Saturday when the Spartans take on 6-seed Louisville in the second round of the East Region at 2:45 p.m. ET in Buffalo, New York.

Here’s what to know about Fears:

Jeremy Fears Jr stats

Here’s a breakdown of Fears’ stats this season at Michigan State:

• 2025-26: 15.7 points per game, 9.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals with a 44.5% field goal shooting percentage

Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of Fears’ stats in the Big Ten tournament:

• Game 1 vs. UCLA (Quarterfinals): 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting with 13 assists, a rebound and a steal

Here’s a breakdown of Fears’ stats in March Madness:

• Game 1 vs. North Dakota State (First Round): Seven points on 2-of-6 shooting with 11 assists and two rebounds

Billikens coach Josh Schertz called the Wolverines the best team in the country.

Buffalo, N.Y. — It’s no secret that stretch bigs have given Michigan problems this season.

And it’s no secret that Saint Louis runs a five-out offense with one of the premier shooting big men in the country in Robbie Avila, who sports goggles and has an endless supply of color nicknames.

When push comes to shove in Saturday’s NCAA Tournament second-round matchup at KeyBank Center, the battle between the centers could be at the center of determining who secures a spot in the Sweet 16.

“We’ve learned that against pick-and-pop bigs, if you allow a direct pass, they’re going to shoot about 25% to 30% better. If they make one or two, you need to be prepared to go to your contingency plans quicker than usual,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “We’ve played this defensive philosophy for several years, so we know what can beat it on a given night. We know what the holes in the defense are. But it’s just like everything else, there’s a give and take.